One such pressure bar is known, for example, from EP-A-389 914. In the known solution, the pressure members are urged in the direction toward the grinding belt through a hose actuatable by a pressure medium. The hose is surrounded by a plurality of frame-shaped pressure shoes arranged next to one another in the longitudinal direction of the carrier and each shoe is positionable perpendicularly to the base plate by means of a positioning device. The pressure shoes have in their frame sides which face the base plate bores registering with bores in the base plate for receiving the pressure members with a flexible pressure distribution element being arranged between the hose and the ends of the pressure members facing the hose, the pressure distribution element having a higher stiffness than the hose material. This pressure bar has proved itself in practice with belt grinding machines, especially for the deburring and descaling of large sheet metal pieces. Above all, it has been shown that the stiffness of the arrangement is still relatively high and that the resolution with the actuation of the pressure members is less than could be wished for.